The Chalk Doll

by Charlotte Pomerantz, Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

Overview

Rose has a cold. And while Mother tucks her in for a nap, she tells Rose about growing up in Jamaica. She describes how she clickety clacked to school on mango heels and made a rag doll because she couldn't afford a store–bought chalk doll. And Rose knows she'll feel much better once she makes her own rag doll, too.

Ages 5+

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064433334
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/30/1993
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Charlotte Pomerantz was born in New York City, where she still lives. Among her many popular books for children are Mangaboom, illustrated by Anita Lobel; Here Comes Henny (based on the wordplay of James Joyce), illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker; Halfway to Your House, illustrated by Gabrielle Vincent; Flap Your Wings and Try and All Asleep, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri; and Posy, illustrated by Catherine Stock (a Christopher Award book).

Frané Lessac is an American who has traveled all over the world. She now lives in Fremantle, Australia, but always looks forward to visiting Texas with her family. To bring the Lone Star State to life with gouache paints, Frané did extensive research using a video camera, a still camera, and actual and virtual tours. She is the illustrator of more than thirty books for children, including Capital! Washington D.C. from A to Z and New York, New York! The Big Apple from A to Z, both by Laura Krauss Melmed.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-- A stunning book in design, illustration, and story. Lessac's flat, primitive, folk paintings beautifully extend the simple text, a dialogue between a middle-class mother and her child that captures the love, closeness, and sharing between the two. Rose is in bed with a cold, and to entertain her, her mother tells her stories of growing up in Jamaica, where Rose's mother is seen not as a child who lived in poverty, but rather as one without the material possessions her child has. As the stories unfold, Rose is swept up in a ``grass is always greener'' syndrome: walking to school barefoot, no store-bought ``chalk'' dolls, and only homemade dresses all sound wonderful. Deep blues, lush greens, and sunny yellows capture the ambiance of the island setting, while other pages with more subdued tones show Rose in her bedroom; this technique may initially puzzle some children because of the switches back and forth. Easy to read, yet flowing enough for a read-aloud, this is an unusual portrayal of the difference in lifestyles between generations and between cultures.-- Trev Jones, ``School Library Journal ''

School Library Journal